Maine oil spill team, others wait in frustration
The state has trained response personnel and gear on hand, but can’t help in the Gulf until asked.
By John Richardson jrichardson@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
PORTLAND — State officials and other Mainers are eager for a chance to help fight and clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has more than two miles of absorbent boom ready to go. It also wants to send oil-skimming barges and a team of trained responders.
Stephen Flannery, an oil and hazardous materials specialist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, says the state will be sending down 5,700 feet of 24-inch fence boom, seen behind him at the DEP’s Portland warehouse Tuesday, to help crews clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
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Report points to cronyism among drilling regulators
Staff members at an agency that oversees offshore drilling accepted tickets to sports events, lunches and other gifts from oil and gas companies and used government computers to view pornography, according to an Interior Department report alleging a culture of cronyism between regulators and the industry.
The report, which began as a routine investigation, adds to the climate of frustration and criticism facing the Obama administration in the monthlong oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, although it covers actions before the spill.
–The Associated Press
For more information about the spill, including where to send technological suggestions or find out about volunteering, go to: www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
“We’re waiting. We’ve got trained people, we’ve got equipment,” said Barbara Parker, director of response services for the DEP. “I’ve talked to people in other New England states. We’re all waiting. We can’t just go. We have to be asked.”
As oil continues gushing from the sea floor off Louisiana and fouling wildlife and beaches, frustration and concern are spreading far from the Gulf of Mexico.
“There’s a great level of frustration about BP’s response (and) about the role of the federal government,” said Donna Gormley, a spokeswoman for the Maine DEP, which is getting calls daily from residents.
Some callers, like Paul Fournier, owner of Fournier Machines in Mechanic Falls, have ideas for stopping the spill. They are referred to a website where BP is accepting suggestions.
Some callers want to know if the oil will reach Maine’s coast and threaten the fisheries and coastal tourism businesses here. There’s almost no chance that will happen, because of the distance the oil would have to travel and because the Gulf Stream veers offshore before reaching New England, according to the experts.
Some within the DEP are growing frustrated.
At the end of April, the DEP offered to send responders and equipment as soon as the governor of Louisiana or Florida gave the word, Parker said. While BP is coordinating the spill response, such offers are officially made from governor to governor, Parker said.
“We’re stunned, actually,” that the offer hasn’t been accepted yet, she said.
The DEP also prepared 13,900 feet of absorbent boom at the direct request of BP, which has yet to send trucks to pick it up, she said. The boom is in warehouses in Portland and Bangor.
“That’s part of our frustration. I think we’re so concerned (because) we see what’s happening on the news and we know that we have trained people and equipment that can help,” Parker said.
Jon Woodard is part of the DEP’s team of eight to 10 trained oil spill responders who are ready to travel south and recover oil or survey shorelines for damage.
“We’ll assist people wherever they need it,” he said. “It is surprising our equipment hasn’t been called for. They seem to be talking about how they can’t get enough of it.”
A frustrated Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told reporters Monday that “it is clear that the resources needed to protect our coast are not here. Boom, skimmers, vacuums and jack-up barges are all in short supply. Every day (that) oil sits and waits for cleanup, more of our marsh dies.”
It’s not clear why Jindal hasn’t responded to Maine’s offer, or if he will. His office did not respond in time for this story.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine was disappointed to learn that so much containment boom was in warehouses in Maine.
“Every available resource needs to be put into stopping the spread of oil,” she said in a prepared statement. “If we have two miles of containment boom that can be protecting fragile fishing and wildlife areas, it should be put to use and not sitting in warehouses in Maine.”
Some Maine contractors are already in the Gulf, helping to fight the spill.
The Maine Responder, a Portland-based oil spill response vessel, has been skimming oil from the surface since it arrived with its Maine-based crew earlier this month.
Jack Vallely of Cape Elizabeth is one of 15 Mainers employed by Clean Harbors Environmental Services in South Portland who have been stationed off Mobile, Ala., since the end of April.
The crew has been helping to position containment booms to protect the region’s picturesque shorelines. Winds and currents have kept the oil several miles offshore.
“We have 100,700 feet of boom out. We have to put that out and then we have to maintain it every day,” Vallely said. “We’ve been staying very busy, but we haven’t seen any oil.”
Vallely said he has seen no shortage of responders or equipment to clean the spill.
“The assets that they brought in are overwhelming,” he said. “They have boom from Panama City, Florida, over” to Louisiana.
He said he’s still worried about the size of the spill, and the fact that it isn’t contained yet. “Hopefully their strategy works over the next few days and they can plug that damn thing,” he said.
Fournier, the machine manufacturer from Mechanic Falls, is convinced that he knows how to stop the oil leak, if he can only get BP to listen.
“I’ve called all kinds of people and nothing’s happening,” he said. “Nobody seems to take the bull by the horns and do things.”
His solution is to make a large scissor-like clamp with a powerful hydraulic cylinder and use it to crimp the pipe below the leaks.
“From the looks of it, we’ve got enough room to get our mechanism on there and crimp the pipe,” Fournier said. “A lot of engineers have looked at what we’ve done and they figured it should have been tried first.”
Fournier, a 71-year-old former Coast Guardsman, said he doesn’t want any money for his idea, he just wants a chance to help contain the growing disaster.
“It’s kept me up nights,” he said.
Staff Writer John Richardson can be contacted at 791-6324 or at: jrichardson@pressherald.com
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20 COMMENTS
Dave8784 said...
JUST ABOUT RIGHT! Government, AT ALL LEVELS... once again, don't know if their bowling or shaving!
May 26, 2010 at 5:51 AM Report abuse
Jack24 said...
Where is Obama on this???.. Why has he not ordered all possible resources to go to the Gulf and help contain the oil so it does not reach the shoreline and destroy the eco system!!!! He says he is keeping his boot on BP but what positive results come from that? Show some leadership there are people and resources that if they where ask and were shown leadership we could limit this biggest disaster in our nation's history.. He is a JOKE!
May 26, 2010 at 5:52 AM Report abuse
Jack24 said...
He'd rather go on another long weekend/vacation this coming weekend than honor our fallen on memorial day or show leadership on this gulf oil disaster. He has had more vacations/long weekends and golf outing in a year and 1/2 than any other president in History.. We elected him to lead us not have a good tim flying around on Air force one!
May 26, 2010 at 5:55 AM Report abuse
nikonwilly said...
It sounds as if they have enough help....too many and it becomes chaos. Wait in frustration ? Bahahahah they want in on the payday from BP!
May 26, 2010 at 6:14 AM Report abuse
mutt said...
We had a practice event here in march sons spills of national significance where resources were deployed to battle such a catasrophe. Did they forget everything! I would say the private and government sector screwed this up!
May 26, 2010 at 6:23 AM Report abuse
Transplant94 said...
This isn't going away tomorrow. Sending every trained person to that area now creates nothing but chaos. And remember, we need those people here if something happens in our area with all the oil coming into Portland. There are THOUSANDS of Rigs in the Gulf, surprising this type accident hasn't happened sooner. They can't get a picture of the shores without at least 2-3 rigs in the background. Another govt bullying tactic will do nothing but increase our tax bill from this administration. Maybe we should REALLY look at alternative energy sources if everyone is so concerned. Stop griping about windmills and harnessing the tides in Maine. The lower 48 should be paying MAINE for energy. Instead the NIMBY Committee continues to whine about their view and Canada and the oil companies laugh all the way to the bank.
May 26, 2010 at 7:00 AM Report abuse
Dana said...
Fournier Is right, I thought of the same thing weeks ago. I bet "they" will have an epiphany and decide to try this "new" idea and crimp the damn pipe. I know this would work I'd bet the farm on that.
May 26, 2010 at 7:23 AM Report abuse
JJ said...
During Katrina, George Bush was in Louisiana 7 times in the first 30 days. (The boy tyrant Barry will try to make a second visit after he vacations again in Chicago and California.) Mr. Obama, please take your boot off the throat of America and resign now.
May 26, 2010 at 7:33 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
obamaCorn is too worried with the Sestak White House scandal to be concerned about an oil leak! After all, 'It's Valerie Plame, only bigger, a high crime and misdemeanor' and is a 'impeachable offense'! Finally, we can get rid of this socialist pig!
May 26, 2010 at 8:05 AM Report abuse
Really said...
As much as I don't support Obama, you can't blame him for the perceived "lack of support" For all those that hate big Government, there is a law in place that prevents the Government from forcing aid onto State and local Government. If they don't ask for it, The Federal Government can't send it in. Interesting that this is the second disaster the LA has had where they didn't make the formal request then cried about no help coming.
May 26, 2010 at 8:32 AM Report abuse
homeboy said...
The resources that are here in Maine, and at those at other locations around the country, are there for a good reason---to protect those places in the event of a spill/emergency. Imagine the outcry if we sent all of our resources elsewhere, only to then need them here! We have plenty of good folks from Maine on the Maine Responder, as well as folks from Boomtech and other spill cleanup companies already working in the gulf. Remember the old line about too many cooks spoiling the broth? The big issue has been a shortage of boom, and that is being remedied by boom factory output having been vastly increased, and by new companies jumping into production of it. The biggest issue is stopping the flow of new oil from the pipe, and I believe that some of the best minds out there are working on that problem feverishly. Trying to pin this on the President and his staff is nothing short of silly--- offshore drilling has been going on for years---it wasn't invented during this administration!
May 26, 2010 at 8:51 AM Report abuse
AXeL said...
Obama is busy keeping his "boot on BP's throat" and ensuring a scapegoat for this disaster. If his Administration sent an all-hands call for help this would necessarily give BP some wriggle room and make the Obama Administration take more than zero responsibility for the clean-up. Rather than waste a good crisis, Obama will use this to further his political agenda. This is the type of evil of which republicans are often accused. Very revealing indeed.
May 26, 2010 at 9:39 AM Report abuse
chev said...
of course they want to go. it equals a payday. potentially a very big one.
May 26, 2010 at 9:44 AM Report abuse
xcalibur1066 said...
The press is not crucifying Mr. Obama on this because he has the Magic Media Protection System : A "D" after his name on the ballot. Now, if the same thing happened to an "R" POTUS, do you think the press response would be as nice?
May 26, 2010 at 10:42 AM Report abuse
mutt said...
SONS 2010 also will involve a variety of land and sea resources including booms, trailers, barges skimmers and cutters. “It’s kind of like the Super Bowl of pollution exercises. That’s how we like to say it,” said Coast Guard Lt. Lisa Ceraolo. The purpose of the exercise is to test coordination of federal, state, local and private sector resources to contain and clean up the discharge caused by a severe oil spill. This happened 2 months ago here in Maine! I guess we lost that "superbowl" if we prepare to much for it why are we letting BP run the show??!! Hmm Coast Guard we need you to guard the coast
May 26, 2010 at 11:12 AM Report abuse
Caveman said...
If Mr. Fournier has a plan ans it can work; well, it's just one of 17,000 proffered so far. It is truly too frustrating to believe at this moment, both for the arm chair guys and the senior staffers in the field. B.O. aka stinky will take his three day vacation and attend a la de dah fund raiser. I, personally, see Joe Sestak and BP taking him down with impeachment...but I'm just in an arm chair in Maine!
May 26, 2010 at 12:05 PM Report abuse
Caveman said...
Sestak/impeachment blog http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=158617
May 26, 2010 at 12:06 PM Report abuse
nascar said...
This reminds me of the school bus and mobile home fiasco during Katrina. They had all these buses, ready to go. They had all these mobile homes, ready to go. And what happened in both cases? They were misused, or not used at all. THIS is your Liberal government; full of promises and 'Hope' but when the rubber hits the road, they're all imbeciles. The biggest of them all calls 1600 Pennsylvania Ave his home. But for barely two more years.
May 26, 2010 at 12:29 PM Report abuse
Roger said...
I guess you small government republicans think this is something the government should be involved in? Don't fix the mess caused by Goldmansux but fix the mess caused by BP
May 26, 2010 at 2:26 PM Report abuse
EricL said...
The spill, unfortunately, plays right for Obama/Biden/Pelosi and their anti-business, anti-oil, anti-American agenda. They will maximize the media hype and use the mess to further the one-world government they favor, where everyone lives like they do in France. Given this upside for their ideology, it is no wonder that they choose to delay the cleanup and sacrifice the environment for the "greater good".
June 12, 2010 at 12:23 PM Report abuse